The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has recognized the considerable obstacles he has encountered since taking up his role.

Speaking at the 2024/2025 Annual General Conference of the Ghana Bar Association in Kumasi, Mr Dame spoke about how serving as Attorney General in a government’s second term can be particularly challenging, often involving the management of contentious policies from the previous term.

He described how addressing these challenges and advising fellow ministers has sometimes been overwhelming. Dame cited the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme and the COVID-19 pandemic as pivotal moments when he provided crucial legal advice to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Health.

“The task of being an Attorney General in the second term of a government is not an easy one. It involves coming in at a time when the government has implemented a set of policies in its first term and made some tough decisions that may not be popular with the people.

“As the Attorney General, it involves making yourself unpopular by telling your colleague ministers that they cannot pursue certain legislation and policies which although in the national interest, may not be compatible with the law.

“I remember the painful advice I gave to the Finance Minister on the domestic debt restructuring at the difficult time of the nation as well as the Health Minister, perhaps, at a more difficult time in the history of our nation.”

Despite these trials, Mr Dame affirmed his determination to navigate the complexities of his office and leverage the law to contribute to Ghana’s progress.

“However, I have braved the challenges of the office and remained undaunted because I love the law and I love utilising the law as an instrument for the developing Ghanaian society.”

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